Facial makeup is normally applied in two steps. In a first step, liquid or cream foundation is applied. Next, a finishing powder is applied to complete the makeup.
Until now, the finishing powder has been. available in the form of a loose dusty powder or as a pressed powder. The loose powder is preferred since it is easier to apply than the pressed powder; however, due to its fine particle size, the loose powder is very dusty and therefore essentially non-portable. Portable forms of finishing powder usually are in the form of pressed powders which include a talc filler, a dry binder such as calcium stearate, a liquid binder which includes an ester such as isopropyl myristate, squalane (Robane), isopropyl stearate, or isodecyl neopentanoate, an oil such as mineral oil or lanolin or mixtures thereof, as well as desired colorants.
Pressed powders have greater portability than loose powders. However, they are applied by a powder puff and in doing so, the powder puff must be pressed against the face of the pressed powder and take up powder to be applied. The difficulty arises in trying to take up adequate amounts of powder from the caked or pressed powder onto the powder puff. It has been found that if the same powder puff is employed too many times for such purpose, the powder puff may be impregnated with skin oils and thus will not lift powder from the pressed powder. Furthermore, constant contact of the powder puff with the upper layers of pressed powder causes the pressed powder to mat down and harden, thereby making it extremely difficult to lift off loose powder therefrom.
Thus, a pressed powder which is portable and non-dusting which may be easily converted to loose powder form would indeed represent an advance in the art and satisfy a long-felt want.